Starbright
by zeurin
Summary: For any man, to kiss a girl and avoid her the next day was strange, but for the always rational, sensible Spock, it was completely out of character." Will Uhura let him go? What happens when Sulu's cousin comes on board for a couple months? Spock/Uhura
1. Chapter 1

So, I finish watching Star Trek on Thursday, and by Friday, I have a whole story plotted out in my brain... crazy! This is how obsessed I am already! . Anyways, this is mainly Spock/Uhura, and I'm going to put an orignal character in to get things moving quicker. ;)

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"Say _what_?!" James, excuse me, Captain Kirk demanded, his eyes wide with a blend of anger and confusion directed at his wincing helmsman.

The corner of Spock's lip twitched so minimally that only Uhura noticed. "I believe that Captain Kirk is attempting to express his confusion over the circumstances of your leave, though not in a very articulate way, as is usual with him. Please, explain your reasoning again."

Sulu blinked, aware of the way Kirk was now glaring at the half Vulcan and hoping he wouldn't turn on him, "My oldest sister is getting married next week. I need a leave of absence to watch over her kids."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Kirk outraged, "You get drunk, get married, then get back to the kids. End of story. Who drags in their brother? Completely creepy and unnecessary for a wedding."

"Perhaps there is more to traditional Japanese marriages that we weren't aware of," Dr. McCoy cut in, glaring at the Captain, "Isn't there, Sulu?"

A blink, "Actually, no not really."

Everyone else in the room seemed to blink. "Then, why must you go, mon apyr?" Chekov gently asked.

"Yeah, please explain," Kirk unnecessarily asked.

Sulu sighed and sat back in his chair, "Well, in my culture, it's imperative to be respectful to your elders. My sister is a good fifteen years older than me and therefore I have a lot of respect for her. She married her first husband when she was only eighteen and had three kids with him before he left the family. She's been working so hard to meet end's needs since then. But now, for the first time, she is happy and wants to travel the galaxy for her honeymoon and… well, I don't think it'd be too much to look after her kids for a couple months while she's out enjoying herself."

Everyone's expression seemed to soften in the room, especially Uhura, who had her hand clasped on her chest. "Alright…" Kirk reluctantly said, "I guess it's for a good cause, but- Wait, did you say _months_?!" His face abruptly reverted to anger, "What am I gonna do without a helmsman for months?! We kinda need someone to drive this thing!"

Uhura frowned at him, "As much as we need him, Captain, I think it's possible for us to find a replacement for a few months."

Kirk groaned, "Can't you get a babysitter?"

Sulu shrugged, "I guess she only trusts me."

"Where am I gonna find a replacement?"

"I have a cousin…"

"So do I."

Sulu rolled his eyes, "My cousin's just graduated from the Academy and she's still undecided whether to go onboard or go for a different career. This experience can help her decide."

"See, Jim? So it's all settled. We'll have your cousin come in and you can go to your sister's wedding," McCoy happily said, proud to have figured it all out.

"Actually, she's not really my cousin."

"What?"

"She's my second cousin… once removed. Or my first cousin twice removed. I could never tell the difference."

"A first cousin twice removed is the offspring from-"

"Spare us, Spock," Kirk groaned, his head in his hands. He looked up to glare at the frowning Asian man, "Fine, Sulu," he sighed, "Go babysit. God. But your cousin better be hot."

"Er… no comment."

***

Spock had requested for dismissal first and Kirk quickly agreed to it, still uncharacteristically upset about losing Sulu for his distant relative. Uhura quickly asked for it after him and shot out the room, knowing she could catch him before the turbolift doors closed. Luckily, her calculations were accurate and the door was still open with Spock, as stoic as ever, eying her flustered advance with cool indifference.

She slid in and he pressed a button for the doors to slide shut. He didn't look at her but blankly at the walls. She looked at him. It'd been a month since defeating Nero and rescuing Christopher Pike. He had not spoken to her since. For any man, to kiss a girl and avoid her the next day was strange, but for the always rational, sensible Spock, it was completely out of character. Perhaps he had suffered from some memory erasing infection she was unaware of? More likely, he was regretful for his actions and believed that if he ignored her, she'd go away. Still, that was completely illogical. What was he thinking? Well, there was only one way to find out. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest at the prospect of speaking to him again.

"So, um… it was interesting how livid Captain Kirk was over Sulu's departure," it was the first thing that popped in her mind and she blushed slightly over the ill chosen topic, wishing, at the second, nothing more than to bash her head on the hard metallic doors. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Spock, however, didn't even look at her, didn't even make any notion that he had heard her, "Yes, indeed," he finally said.

"Yeah… um, what Sulu was attempting was very… decent in my eyes," she rambled on, "Helping his sister in need. I never thought him as such a generous person as we all know he's not that good with kids."

"That assessment is accurate."

She winced, then opened her mouth to say more, but the door slid open and Spock instantly exited the lift, "Good evening, Lieutenant," he called over his shoulder.

Uhura had to bite her lip to keep from groaning in despair, "Sleep well, Commander," she dully said in return, longingly staring after the back of his head as he stiffly strode to his quarters. Instead of returning to her chambers as well for some highly deserved sleep, she pressed the button for the cafeteria…

Two hours later, she was found with her head down on a table, a small pile of wrappers at her elbow.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Uhura looked up and was only slightly disappointed to find Dr. McCoy there, looking at her curiously. "That term hasn't been in common use since the 2100s, when that form of currency on Earth was replaced with-"

"Stop trying to change the subject with your smarts. Tell me what's wrong, Nyota." He said, seating himself in the chair across from her.

"Why do you assume there's something wrong?" She retorted, hoping she wasn't too obvious in her anguish over Spock.

"Well, judging by the way you're shivering, although the temperature is suitable in this room, and by the number of wrappers at your side, I believe that you have consumed an unhealthy amount of ice cream sandwiches, and since, judging by the last time you came to me for pain reliever, two weeks ago, you are not in your menstrual stage yet, so therefore the ice cream cannot just be mood food. Tell me what's wrong."

Damn it. She never knew ice cream sandwiches could give away so much about a person. She sighed and put down the bar in her hand, "It's Spock."

"That was my first guess. How's my boy been treatin' ya?" His big brown eyes were so friendly that she couldn't help but trust him.

Uhura irritably swung her long ponytail out of her face, "I tried speaking to him today. We hadn't spoken for a month."

"Oh… not so well then…" Suddenly, he felt awkward. McCoy had thought that he was going to try to pressure a blow by blow out of Uhura and see if the stiff Vulcan was so stiff in bed. Instead he just wedged himself between a rock and a hard place… not comfortable. Listening to a woman complain about a breakup was much less amusing than listening to a woman complain about an insufficient romantic partner.

"I don't understand," Uhura viciously stuffed half her ice cream sandwich in her mouth, "Ah mean, Ah didn't do anytin' wrong!" She hastily swallowed, "One day, we were- well, you don't need to know the details, but intimate, and the next- nothing. It's like I died or something."

He winced in sympathy, "My experience with Vulcans tells me that they can be very strange sometimes when they do things they believe to be the most logical. Perhaps you need to talk to him."

"Ah tried dat!" She declared, scarfing down the rest of her treat, "He won't lis'sen!"

"Er- maybe you should lay off the ice cream," being a doctor, he couldn't help but advise.

Uhura glared at him, "You're right," she finally said, scooting her chair away from the table, "I need Kirk to make inappropriate comments about my ass tomorrow in front of him."

"Um, sure. Anyways, I know your confrontation with him today didn't go as planned, but I think you really need to speak with him, so the best way to do this is to come clean and tell him you need to."

Uhura frowned in consideration, "You think?"

"I know."

"What should I say?"

"I don't know. What do you want to say?"

"I just…" She shook her head, "Why is he doing this? I mean, it's obvious I likw him, and he seemed not to protest against my affections a month ago, so I'd ask him about the reasoning behind his reconsideration…"

"Perfect," Bones said, relieved.

"God, they need to serve alcohol here!" She complained, ice cream not giving her the numb satisfaction alcohol could.

"As a doctor, I am supposed to heartedly disapprove of the toxin that destroys your liver and intuitions, but as a human being, you're damn right."

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I know, too much rambling in the beginning and not enough Spock/Uhura... Sorry! But it's coming- I swear! Please make my day and review! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

I just saw the movie AGAIN on Sunday!!! :) I'm obsessed!!! So this just came flowing out of my fingertips after the movie. Sorry if it's... rough. This is more of a transitional chapter as all the good stuff is coming in the next two chapters._

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_"He gave me a 72 in the class and has a huge stick up his ass, but I have to admit, I'd bang him."_

_Uhura winced, wishing she hadn't asked Gaila about her new Xenolinguists teacher. "From your descriptions, I infer that he is attractive?"_

_"Super sexy. Staring at his ass every time he turned was the only reason why I didn't drop out by midterms. _

_"I… see," Uhura wryly said, rolling her eyes as she began changing into her red uniform, "But his name is Spock, which means he's Vulcan. Aren't they supposed to be the best teachers?"_

_Her Orion roommate quickly shook her head, "No! As sexy as he is, Spock is the worst teacher ever. He's way too hardcore! He made me sit next to Bobby Four-eyes, who kept trying to look down my shirt, when he caught me passing a note to Jim during class. How unfair is that?! And, he gave me an 8.7% on my final paper! Who expects their students to study after celebrating? Geez!"_

_Uhura sighed, but a little chill of worry ran down her back, nonetheless, "Why did you even take Xenolinguists?"_

_" Kirk."_

_"Ah."_

_"But, anyways, I can't believe you haven't heard about the _great_ Spock!"_

_Uhura sat up in bed and turned to face Gaila, "No, tell me."_

_"Well, it turns out that he's not full Vulcan; his mother's human!"_

_"Wow, go on."_

_"And he was accepted to the Vulcan Academy of Science, but apparently, one of the pointy-eared Board members said something offending about Spock's mother, so he turned around and threw a pen at the bastard who said the comment, and it hit him right in the you-know-what and to this day the bastard can't have kids. So the rest of them ran up to defend him, but Spock whips out his antique, Klingon sword and-"_

_Uhura rolled her eyes, "Why would he bring a sword to accept a scholarship?"_

_"Shh! Good story here. Anyways, they outmatch him forty to zero and they all have phasers set to kill, but of course, it's no problem for Spock, who had been trained in fighting by the Klingons for the past seven years, so he-"_

_Uhura sighed and forced herself to listen to the rest of her roommate's obviously exaggerated story. Spock was probably nothing like Gaila described. He was probably your typical professor, but so boring that the students found it necessary to make up a fictionalized history for him. However, that was before she met him._

_Though anyone else in her class would disagree, Professor Spock was undoubtedly the most interesting person she'd ever met. The instant class started, on the very first day of the term, without even introducing himself, the half- Vulcan walked up to the front of the classroom and began lecturing. _

_Half an hour later, Spock stood in the very same spot, in the very same position, lecturing in the very same tone._

_An hour later, Spock stood in the very same spot, in the very same position, lecturing in the very same tone. All that changed was the appearance of the students in the room. Most had their head down while some were blankly staring at him with fearful expressions in their wide eyes. All except for one. Uhura violently typed in her datapad, looking up if she already knew the information every few seconds and studying him. Though he spoke in a monotone, she could barely make out the hidden passion behind his words on Vulcan. His vast knowledge was something to behold. _

_As class ended, he mentioned that there would be a test on the lecture the following day and sat down at his desk. Uhura was the only one smiling. Exactly 7.5 seconds later, the entire classroom was cleared of all students. She was the only one left, leisurely packing her things away in her bag. Before she exited the room, she hovered near Spock's desk._

_"That was a fascinating lecture today, Professor."_

_He looked up at her and suddenly, her whole world ceased to exist as she lost herself in those black, darker than dark, eyes. Those _human_ eyes. They were cold, but yet she could make out a grateful undertone. "I appreciate the knowledge that one person was conscious during the period, Cadet…"_

_Wait- was that a joke? Could Vulcans joke? She blinked in confusion. But his face was stoic and there was no humor in his eyes. Perhaps it was a simple statement of fact. There was something about him... Something that fascinated her, drew her in. He was so intelligent and well educated in the Vulcan ways, yet there was something so remarkably attractive and human about him. "Uhura," she quickly said, realizing that she had hesitated too long before answering, "Nyota Uhura." Suddenly, she was aware of the fact that her heart rate was abnormally quick, that heat had crept up her neck and that in approximately a second, it was going to show on her cheeks. "Um, good day, Professor." She left the room before he could respond or make a comment about her physical well-being._

_Once outside, her heart rate began to decline, but she could still feel the heat on her face. What was wrong with her? Why was her body reacting so?_

_One thing was for certain; her body had never ceased to behave thus._

***

A week passed, but Uhura never got the courage to go up to him and request that they speak like McCoy advised. Every time she worked up the courage, she'd go up to him and merely stammer about Sulu's cousin or the conditions of Scotty's beard before she panicked and emergency exited the conversation, though conversation was the wrong word for their interactions. More than Uhura blabbering on about nothing and Spock minimally tolerating it… It was horrid and completely embarrassing. She had long gotten over the point in her life where she mooned after boys like a hormonal sixteen year old. But, for god's sake, why did he have to be so infuriating at times? He was always so close to her, yet so far away.

In fact, at that very moment, Spock stood a mere ten feet away from her as they all gathered around the transporter, to see Sulu off and to greet their new pilot. Uhura wanted to reach over and touch his hand, but knew she couldn't. She wouldn't be able to stand rejection. But, damn, it had been over a month since the two of them made any physical contact. She better work up the courage to talk to him soon or she swore she was going to explode.

"Oh, and before I leave, I must tell all of you something important about Alana."

"Who?"

"His cousin, you dope!" Scotty reprimanded, not looking pleased for having to wake up so early to see Sulu off. Sure, the kid was decent, but seven in the morning? Really?

"Ah, do tell." Kirk said, quirking a brow at the moody Scottish man, but too used to his antics to take offense. The green impish creature made a face at the Captain, which he wisely chose to ignore.

"Yeah, Alana, er, she's not like me."

"Please elaborate. The amount of information you have given is not sufficient enough to make conclusions." The mere sound of Spock's voice was going to drive her crazy.

"Well, she wasn't born on Earth."

"You have an _alien _cousin?!" Kirk's blue eyes were wide.

"No, her parents were human." Sulu quickly explained.

"So, they were ambassadors to the planet or something?" McCoy quickly understood.

"Yes. And she's been brought up in the planet's customs."

"Please tell me she's an Orion girl!" Kirk begged.

"Better, an Edo girl." Sulu gave them a sheepish smile.

Uhura seemed to be the only disappointed one in the room… Wait, Kirk was too, a small frown on his face, "Are those the ones who turn into fish?"

"I believe you are thinking of the Antedean, who are an ichthyohumanoid species, but they merely resemble fish." Spock corrected and Uhura could feel her heart pumping.

"Yeah, but anyways, her parents had moved there in an attempt to persuade Edo to join the United Federation of Planets and to further the friendship between the two planets, they had Alana raised as an Edo child." He paused to let that heavy information sink.

Suddenly, there was a flashing light on the transporter pad next to him and a figure began to appear. Kirk's eyebrows weren't the only that rose when the person came in focus- a stunning platinum blonde girl. All eyes went back and forth between Alana and Sulu. Absolutely no resemblance. Alana had light honey skin and olive green eyes slanted marginally upwards to suggest that she did contain some of the Japanese blood after all. She was slender and willowy with her long, wavy hair cascading down her back in such an alluring way that Uhura crossed her arms over her chest in disapproval. Her hair was obviously unnatural.

"Hikaru!" She gasped, tugging her second cousin once removed… or first cousin twice removed in a tight hug. She planted little kisses all over his face, "It's been too long." She pulled a little wrapped box out of the back pocket of the tight jeans she wore, "Oh, and could you give this to Mamiko as a wedding gift?"

"I'll be sure to do that."

"Thank you, Hikaru." She then turned to blink at the small crowd of people before her.

"Oh, forgive my manners, Alana. This is the new crew you will be working with for the next few months."

"Welcome aboard," Kirk greeted, eying her midriff shirt with relish. Uhura internally groaned. She'd have to give this girl a talk about human customs soon.

In response, Alana dipped down in a low… bow? She crossed her legs and bent until her chin touched her knees and kissed her palm before gracefully revolving it in one fluid movement. "It is a pleasure to be here." Her voice was melodic with a soft alien accent to it.

Sulu lead her up to Kirk, "This is Captain Kirk."

Kirk offered her his hand, "How do you- oh," he said in surprise as she kissed the palm of his offered hand.

"Nice to meet you, Captain."

"Um…" Sulu was looking a bit awkward. "Right, anyways, that's Commander Spock."

"Ah, a Vulcan." Alana promptly cupped his face between her hands and kissed him on the lips. Spock, educated in the ways of her people, responded by taking her palm and kissing it. Uhura's blood boiled a few feet away. How dare Alana kiss him when she herself had not the chance to even speak to him for over a month? Suddenly, Uhura realized she might not like the competition.

Sulu quickly introduced her to the rest of the crew, all of whom she greeted the same way as Spock. To Uhura's relief, and disgust, Alana's greetings did not discriminate between sexes. She had kissed her as soundly as Spock or Scotty.

"Well, I best be off now," Sulu announced, stepping back on the disk. "Take care."

Everyone said their good-byes and Scotty went to beam him off.

"Oh, and by the way, Alana, sometimes it might be difficult pulling the ship into warp speed and that's because you need to activate-" but he was already gone.

The rest of them stared blankly at the empty spot where Sulu had been a few moments ago before Lana spoke again, "Well, I do hope what he said was not that important."

"He gets paid too much for his job, anyways. Can't be too hard," Kirk good-naturedly said.

Uhura gently went up to the platinum blonde and touched her elbow, "Come, I will show you the room you will be staying in."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Nyota will suffice." The two women walked out the room, leaving behind an outraged Kirk behind.

"Do you realize it took me _three_ years to figure out her name?!"

"I jus' doan think she like you, man," Scotty helpfully suggested. The irritating green imp hanging upside down on the bar next to him nodded whole-heartedly in agreement.

"And I was the only one she didn't kiss?!"

McCoy shrugged, "Maybe you're losing your touch, Jim."

The self-proclaimed ladies' man frowned in response.

***

"So, these are your quarters." Uhura announced, showing her the room Sulu recently vacated.

Alana gave her a wide smile before plopping on the bed, "My possessions arrive in approximately forty-seven minutes," she explained before Uhura could ask, "I did not wish to carry them along with me."

"Ah, good thinking," Uhura idly said, sitting next to her, "Um, there is a strict dress code in place where you may only dress in the uniforms Starfleet provides during operating hours."

A small frown appeared on the Edo's face, "Must we all dress in your current uniform?"

"Yes, as we must meet the standards."

Her olive eyes widened, "Am I breaking the regulations now?"

"No, you didn't know better. Besides, Captain Kirk did not mind at all," she said with a sigh and roll of her eyes.

Alana raised an eyebrow, "Do you think he finds my person attractive?"

"He thinks any girl in a skirt is attractive."

"Oh, then I shall put on a skirt and we could copulate." She smiled as though there was absolutely nothing wrong with what she just said.

Uhura's mouth dropped open. She had forgotten how sexually open these people were, "It would not be… wise to do that."

"Is it against regulations?"

"I suppose. But the main reason is because the seniority he has over you would make it seem like he's taken advantage. Very unwise." She gently explained, wishing, in reality, to bash her head with horror of what this girl, unknowingly, yes, but still disgustingly, said.

"Then I shall not attempt it."

Uhura opened her mouth to say more, but decided against it and changed the subject, "When you are not operating the ship, you are allowed to wear whatever you desire…" She said that reluctantly, still looking at Alana's belly shirt.

"Right. Where can I outfit myself with one of… those?" she asked, gesturing to Uhura's clothing.

"Come, I will take you." The two women walked out of Sulu's chambers and down the hall. "Now, Sulu never locks his room, but if you wish to, I can help you develop a-"

"No, that is unnecessary, Nyota, thank you."

"Very well…" They continued walking, though Nyota was at a loss for what to say. Finally, an idea popped in her head, "So, you and Sulu are very close?"

Alana nodded, "He came to visit us on Edo just last year." A small smile appeared on her face, "As it turns out, human males are _very_ popular on our planet."

Nyota's cheek twitched. She did _not _need to know that. "Um, how about I give you a tour of the ship?"

"That sounds lovely."

"Yes, why don't you get changed first and I will show you the main bridge?"

* * *

So? How's Alana? This might sound weird, but part of my inspiration for her was from Starfire from Teen Titans. . But a dirtier version. Anyways, there's gonna be a lot of action next chapter, but how quick I update completely depends on all you! ;) Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Is everyone off school yet, or is it just me? . Anyways, thanks sooooo much for all the reviews, guys! I seriously got tears in my eyes when I checked my inbox... :)

So here's this especially long, action-y chapter to show my appreciation! ;)

Oh, and btw, I got questions on this, so Alana means "beautiful" in french or irish or some other euro country. I just love that name and wanna name my kid that. Same with Laurence, which is mentioned below. Yup. :) Oh, and I thought it through and Alana taking Sulu's position over other people may not make much sense, so I've clarified it in the next chapter. Thanks to the people who pointed that out! ;)

Enjoy!

_Three days later…_

"Should I go to warp, Captain?"

"No, Ms. Vella. Just circle around the planet once more to confirm its safety."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Alana said, giggling a little before she did as he told. Being the happy-go-lucky Edo she was, everything onboard was delightful and exciting. Hell, she didn't even complain about her grueling ten hour shifts.

"I don't understand." Chekov frowned, "There are no signs of the Ekosians here. Zeon seems to be in perfect condition."

"I am picking up no distress frequencies. The airways are clear. There are no transmissions from either planet."

Kirk frowned, swiveling around a full circle in his chair before facing forward again, "Shall we just call this a false alarm?"

"It is highly probable that we have…" Spock hesitated for a second. Uhura tensed. The only thing that made sense was if she misinterpreted the transmissions. Would he point out her mistake? "arrived at the wrong time."

"Full orbit of Zeon completed." Alana proudly announced.

"Good job, 'Lana," Chekov warmly praised her. She happily grinned back, reaching over to pat his cheek. To everyone's surprise, over the past few days, it was the young Russian she had become inexplicably close with. It shocked the hell out of Kirk and Scotty at first, who had both been eying Alana hungrily, but once you got to the core of it, their friendship made more sense than all else.

Chekov was a seventeen-year-old Russian genius. Alana was a fun-loving Edo. He was the only one who got her strange, alien jokes. She was the only one near his age he could relate to. As much as Kirk and Scotty hated it, it made sense.

***

_All of them sat around the cafeteria table; Uhura, Chekov, Kirk, Bones, Scotty, and even Spock, though as far away from Uhura as possible as they tried to understand what Alana was saying._

_"And so the Ickaslopin told the Preteapokin, "You cannot sleep there!" And a Treepatoyo comes in and says, "Why not?" And the Ickaslopin says, "Because your szxin is over there!" She abruptly burst into semi-hysterical laughter. _

_The room was dead quiet. All eyes were on Alana and the young Russian ensign who laughed along with her. The blonde beauty wiped the tears away from her eyes a few seconds later. "Good one, Alana," Chekov said, patting her back while chortling the whole time, futilely trying to hold back his laughter._

_She raised an eyebrow at her confused audience, "Don't you get it? You see, the Ickaslopin is a super stickler for regulations and the Preteapokin is rather loose, so the Ickaslopin tries to tell him that it is wrong to sleep on the ground, but the thing is, there's no rule for that!" She immediately burst into laughter along with Chekov again._

_Scotty was suddenly sorry he asked her to tell him an Edoian joke…_

_Later on, everyone else returns to their rooms to do whatever it is they do in private. Alana sits on her bed, the door left wide open, staring off into space. Back on Edo, she'd be chatting with friends or bingeing on yetspilns with her parents or browsing some shops. Stuck on a ship in outer space put her at a loss for what to do. _

_Lieutenant Uhura didn't seem to like her much. She could not ask Kirk, Scotty or Bones for company as they were probably busy with their important jobs and Spock was… well, a Vulcan. And she was not enough acquainted with anyone else on board._

_Suddenly, there was a soft knock on her door. Alana looked up to see the young Russian hovering at the entrance of her room, "Oh, hello, Ensign. Is there anything the matter?"_

_"Pavel," he instantly corrected._

_"Pavel," She replied with a smile, "Then I must be Alana."_

_"Alana… Would you like to accompany me to the recreational center?"_

_"For what reason?" She asked with a frown._

_"Recreational purposes." He said with such a friendly grin that she finds herself smiling back._

_"I suppose it would be insightful to participate in the ways of humans." She suddenly noticed how close his curly hair resembled her brother's. Standing next to him in the turbolift, she examined his hair, but yet, his hair could've been her brother's removed and reinserted on his own scalp. It was that identical. "I wonder, do you have an older sister?"_

_"Yes." He said, blushing slightly as she saw right through him. "But she died last year…"_

_Alana gave him a sympathetic smile and slung an arm around his shoulder, "I had a brother named Laurence… He was prosecuted when he was nine for tripping and accidently knocking down a police officer in a punishment zone…" Chekov slowly squeezed her back. They needed each other._

***

"Alright, let's pull out," Kirk said, raising an eyebrow at the two sitting directly in front of him, "Vella, warp forward. Uhura, keep an ear out for any Zeon transmissions. Chekov, navigate us back to Earth. I think we need to check out what's going on." He moved over to activate the captain's log. "There has been some… miscalculations. We were heading to Zeon because we had received a distress call, yet when we got there, there were no signs of attack. We are heading back to Earth now to-"

"Captain!" Uhura gasped, her eyes wide, "I am receiving an urgent distress call from Zeon- right now!"

He quickly ended his log and turned to his crew, "Chekov, reroute us to Zeon. Vella- maximum speed."

"Entering warp speed, Captain. Destination in 5, 4, 3, 2-" Her words died on her lips as the wreckage appeared before them. Zeon was nothing like it had been only minutes ago. Even from a satellite view of the planet, a tall cloud of smoke was visible. A few miles from where they hovered, hundred, or maybe even thousands, of ships, some smaller but most larger, than the Enterprise lingered. The Ekoians had dropped an atomic bomb on the planet.

"Zoom in on the planet." Kirk commanded after a few seconds' hesitation.

Chekov numbly obeyed, focusing in on the mushroom cloud below. The sounds of screams echoed in the silent bridge, drawing frowns on every person's face, except Spock, of course. Figures were barely visible in the thick black smoke. The Zeons who were still alive ran wildly from one place to another, like startled animals. Everywhere, limp corpses lay scattered. Some had been unfortunate enough to be thrown into sharp objects and their blood flowed freely down the streets, giving the metropolis a ghastly, surreal look. Metropolis could hardly be the name for it anymore- there weren't any buildings standing anymore. Ruins lay before them, crushing many and getting in the way of all the rest. It was incredible how there were still survivors. There must have been some kind of safety area those few survivors were lucky enough to escape to.

This was no ordinary atomic bomb. Hiroshima couldn't even compare.

Chekov quickly zoomed out of the destruction and turned to Kirk. Next to them, Alana was hastily wiping the tears out of her eyes while Uhura seemed just as affected but handling it better. Spock, who had seen the destruction of his planet, looked as though he had simply been watching the weather program, but the steely glint in those hard black eyes gave him away. Kirk clenched his jaw tightly together, his hand griping the arm rest so hard, his knuckles were white.

"I- I hate to bring this up, but the Ekoians have spotted us," Alana said, pointing wide-eyed at the storm of ships headed right towards them, "And they do not appear to be very friendly- oh!" She gasped as she, along with the rest of them, was thrown backwards.

"Vella- move, now!" Kirk barked, suddenly snapping back into it, "Chekov, request backup from Starfleet. Uhura, tell me what they're saying. Spock, what the hell is going on?!"

"Eko has always been aggressive towards Zeon, blaming their neighboring planet for all their troubles. In a way, they are just like your planet with your Nazis and Jews. I believe that this is their version of the 'Final Solution' to the Zeonese." Spock quickly explained, looking worried, "However, Zeon is a very peaceful planet and will not fight back, though they are more technologically advanced. What perplexes me is the fact that Eko is a very primitive planet, so where did they find the technology for such weapons? They have not even discovered the advancements for space travel at-"

His words were cut off as the entire ship was slammed to the side by a particularly strong blast. "Chekov!" Kirk bellowed.

"Sorry, Captain, but our shields are only at 43% now and they are firing hard!" The Russian boy panicked, trying to set a course that would be difficult to follow, but the problem was that there were so many ships that one was bound to follow; no matter what path they chose.

"Reinforcements?!"

"They have blasted away our communication devices, sir. There is no way to contact Starfleet," The young ensign wanted to do nothing but bash his head on the screen and assure himself that it was all a dream, but instead, held his ground under his young captain's glare.

"Then we're in a shit load of trouble."

"Captain, I can try to go to warp…" Alana offered, biting her lip in frustration.

"That would be of no help," Spock quickly said before Kirk thought it over, "They can as well."

"Wait!" Uhura suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide. Everyone but Alana, who was busy trying not to get them killed, turned to look at her, "Those are class M719 ships, aren't they?"

Chekov quickly zoomed in on a ship close on their tail, and indeed, it was.

"The thing about these certain ships is that-"

"They can't go as fast as warp 9!" Kirk quickly completed for her, his blue eyes wide. So some of old Professor Johnson's lecturing had paid off eventually. "Vella-"

"Already done, sir," Alana said, "Going in warp in 5, 4-"

"Shields at 12%, sir!" Chekov exclaimed, looking extremely worried.

"3, 2, 1-"

Suddenly, there was a giant explosion, then they were moving faster than light, the storm of aggressive ships back in their dust.

"Captain, it is urgent that you turn the ship around right now." They had never heard Spock's voice so hard before.

"Commander, there is no way I am to allow-"

"The 'Final Solution' is not final until they are all dead. Captain, we must go back to attempt rescue." His eyes were stormy with rage.

"I will not allow us to go on a suicide mission, Spock. There is nothing we can do to-"

"I will _not _allow another planet to be destroyed." His knuckles were white from being in such a tight fist, "There is a 2.7% chance of success and I will take it if it means potentially saving a planet."

Kirk hesitated as he stared at his first officer, blue meeting black. Alana didn't know whether to turn around or ignore Spock. But Kirk was still captain and he hadn't said anything, so she slowed a little, staying off warp 9, but still continued forward. "He is right, Captain," all eyes turned to Uhura. She proudly raised her chin and stared Kirk in the eye. "I would rather be remembered as a hero than-"

She gasped as she was thrown to the floor. Uhura quickly pulled herself up, ignoring the pain and looked through the clear windows. They were following. "I don't understand… how is this…?"

"They've upgraded," Kirk numbly said."How is this…?"

"It is not possible for a M719 ship to go at warp 9 speed. The Ekoians must have accessed technology from more advanced planets, even Earth, and built boosters in their-"

Kirk's head snapped to stare at Spock, "What did you say?"

"Boosters, they cannot keep at warp 9 for lengthened periods of time, but-" His voice was cut off as they were blasted again, nearly toppling him over. Cracks were beginning to show on the screen. Alana's palms were slick with sweat as she nervously maneuvered them out of the way of a new wave of attacks.

"Continue, Commander," Kirk growled.

"But they can give the ship enough to even-"

"Shields at 3%!"

"-catch up with warp 9 for a limited amount of time."

"And M719 ships' defense systems aren't up to date with… Excellent." There was a gleam in Kirk's eyes. "Chekov, what's our weaponry status?"

"We haven't fired once." Chekov said, "But, sir, our shields are going to fail in only a few-"

"Vella, maximum speed."

"Sir, I-"

"Just do it!"

Alana's mouth was hanging open, but she wisely closed it and set to warp 9. They left behind the enemy ships with a bang. "Yes, Captain."

"Kirk, I presumed that we were to stay and fight?" There was anger in the half Vulcan's tone.

"Shut up, Spock. I know what I'm doing."

"But, sir, going at this rate is merely-"

"Where are the enemy ships?"

"Right behind us, sir." Chekov said, nervously running a hand through his unruly hair.

"Good. Now stop the ship."

"What?!" Was this some kind of human joke? Because it was not nearly as funny as the Edoian ones Alana was accustomed to.

"Stop the damn ship and turn it around." His tone was so serious that Alana did exactly what he said.

Uhura's hand tightened on her seat, though her eyes were strangely not on the screen like everyone else's, but on Spock. This was it. Their end. There was no way they were going to get out of this situation. They were all as good as dead. And yet, Spock was never going to know how she felt about him. She loved him. That felt amazing to admit. All the stress and worry about dying was instantly lifted off her shoulders. Nothing mattered as long as she loved him. Uhura wanted to rip herself away from her stations and launch herself at Spock, declaring the pure truth she'd kept hidden for way too fucking long. But it was over. She did not want to hurt him in their last few moments of life. This was it. She closed her eyes tightly. There was the booming sound of ships exiting warp speed… Then-

* * *

Ooh la la. How are they gonna get out of this one? ;)

I added in that part with Chekov and Alana b/c I feel that they are very similar being innocent and yeah... ;)

Ew! There's a dead moth like six inches from where I'm typing... I could be intelligent and yell for my dad to get rid of it, but I think I'm gonna leave it there until it magically disappears... . So gross, though! Yuckers! Look at all I do for you! Updating even when there's monstrosity threatening to overwhelm my sanity! -shakes head- I'm too generous.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Late update, sorry, but here we go! Enjoy! ;)

* * *

"Fire everything!" Kirk bellowed.

"Sir, their defense-"

"Just DO IT!"

Chekov quickly did as he told and Alana took the second to look down- and blinked in amazement. All their defenses were down. All around them, suddenly, was the sound of explosives. The big metal ships were instantaneously blown into little scraps of metal to float loosely around in the empty space. Every few seconds, a new wave of ships would appear and Chekov would do the same thing. Finally, the last one burst into a cloud of waste parts, the little flying pieces of metal almost like confetti for the celebration.

Slowly, Uhura opened her eyes. They were alive. Everyone sat dead still, almost in disbelief.

"Whoo hoo!" Alana jumped to her feet and started bouncing and clapping, "YES! We are-" She blinked at the silent people staring back at her, "Oh, are we not supposed to be happy that we are alive?"

Kirk laughed and gently squeezed her arm, "Yes, we are. Whoo!"

Chekov laughed as well, but the rest of the members on bridge did not seem to share in their enthusiasm. "But…" Spock was looking extremely confused. "Have I miscalculated? How is it possible that we have destroyed them?"

Kirk went over to clasp his friend's shoulder, "Oh, Spock, Spock, Spock. Don't you remember that it's impossible for a M719 to hold up its defenses while in warp? That's why we positioned to attack right after they stopped. Good ol' Professor Johnson… Remind me to take that ol' fella out for drinks next time I meet him."

There was a wide smile on Alana's face, "Should I take us back to Earth for repairs, Captain?"

"Yes, ma'am."

***

It had been too close… It had been too close. The same five words echoed in her mind, over and over until she couldn't focus on anything but the weight of her words. There had only been a 2.7% chance of survival. Uhura still couldn't believed that she had survived. It had been too close.

All around her, everyone had broad smiles on their faces, but obviously not Spock who had retired for the night, exuberant to be alive. Uhura, on the other hand, felt nothing but dread and cold realization. It had been too close.

If Kirk hadn't been paying attention in Professor Johnson's class… If they had been hit one more time… If Alana hadn't managed to go to warp in time… If Chekov wasn't able to maneuver away from the majority of attacks… If they hadn't been in the exact, perfect spot at the exact, perfect time… So many ifs. A single hair out of place… Any one of those could have killed them. Then, Spock would never know… Uhura didn't feel relief. Instead, she felt stressful pressure to tell Spock how she felt. How did she know he wasn't going to disappear from her life for good the very next day? What if it were her instead? She needed to tell him. It had been too close.

Once she told him, she might be able to lift the heavy weight off her shoulders and breathe easy. It had been too close.

"Captain, are my services further needed?" She asked, as stiffly as possible to keep the exhaustion out of her voice.

Unfortunately, Kirk saw right through her, "Nah," he said, nonchalantly waaving a hand at her, "I got Vella, who can speak Edoian and Chekov, who can speak Russian. What else do I need?"

"Ooh- I can speak Macedonian as well!" Alana helpfully added, her olive eyes wide with pride.

Kirk blinked at her for a whole second before speaking again, "See, Uhura? We're good. You're dismissed."

"Er… Alright. Thank you."

***

The second Uhura was out of hearing range from the members on the bridge, she went over to the nearest computer screen, "Computer, locate Commander Spock." He was obviously in his chambers, but Uhura wanted to be positive in case she barged in there for nothing. "Thank you," she murmured as her predictions proved to be correct.

She turned to board the turbolift and pressed the button for the floor of Spock's room. Her heart was thundering so hard that she briefly considered stopping by the medlab and snagging some sedative, but thought better of it. McCoy seemed to always know where everything went in his lab. Besides, Uhura was feeling so determined and courageous at the moment that her dangerously high pulse barely registered in her brain. She was going to go up to Spock and tell him how she felt- or die trying. Period. End of story.

The doors slid open and Uhura stiffly strode out, her long ponytail swishing in time to her metronome-like clicking heels. Her heart exceeded the rate of her steps; three hard beats for each step. She tried to concentrate on the strange, rhythmic sounds her body made instead of her own self-doubts that threatened to overwhelm.

She finally reached his room and was slightly surprised to find it ajar. She hesitated there, her own knees threatening to give out from under her. It had been too close.

Finding new strength, Uhura pushed the door in and strode in…

To find that Spock that just stripped off his shirt. He turned his head, the arched brow the only indication of his surprise. "Lieutenant."

Her mouth went dry at the image of a shirtless Spock and she couldn't help but automatically ran her greedy eyes down his tight, unbelievably- Uhura quickly shook her head and closed her slack jaw. "Commander, there is a subject of the utmost importance I must discuss with you."

"Please elaborate." He must have known what Uhura wanted to talk to him about. He must have, yet his dark eyes were blank.

She swallowed loudly, even though she knew that he could hear her every noise. She was painfully aware that he could hear her racing heart. "The unfortunate events today, as you know, lead us to a close confrontation with death…"

"That is correct."

"Well, it has gotten me to begin... thinking about the prospect of..." Oh, why wouldn't he just say something already? Contribute some way to their awkward conversation. She knew he knew where she was going. Did he really have to stand there so blankly? And seriously! Why wouldn't he just put a damn shirt on? Uhura's face flushed red and she could feel heat wash across her entire body. She felt like joining him in his state of undress, but she was here on a mission.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" That quirked eyebrow was going to kill her.

It had been too close. Her jaw tightened and she instantly straightened her spine, her body temperature lowering slightly, "It had been too close." She echoed the five words that'd been running through her head for hours. He frowned his confusion. Well, it was now or never… Uhura inhaled deeply through her nose and turned to stare at him with hard brown eyes. It had been too close. "We almost died. I couldn't die without telling you…" She blinked hard, trying to will away the moisture in her eyes, "I don't know what happened to us these past few weeks. I don't know what I did to make you hate me, but I love you." The words rang so true and strong that, for the first time in her life, she found Spock stunned. "And I don't care how you feel back for me, but I love you enough not to care, and…" She shook her head, "I just wanted you to know in case…" Her voice trailed off. Watery brown met cold black. Then, she bolted.

The tears fell loosely and rapidly as she ran. It had been too close. Well, it was done now. But instead of relief, Uhura was feeling overwhelming mortification. Sure, he knew now, but that didn't mean anything. In fact, it made things worse. One sided love was always the worst. Shit.

* * *

Ooc, I know, sorry. And all of you who are curious on what's wrong with him, it'll all be explained really really soon in his pov.

The dead moth is gone, probably in the carpet somewhere, but reviews still make me happy! ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Ughhhh!!! I'm so sorry for the late update, but my life's HORRID right now! Yup. It's like 104 degrees where I live all the time and I'm so stupid that I decided to take on 4 AP classes next year and now I have so much summer hw crap to do! :(

But anyways, someone asked what exactly was the point of having Alana in the story. Muhahaha! This chapter is super doper long and it's ALL about Alana. Muhahaha. Yup.

The first part is strictly Alana/ Kirk mush and the second is a serious conversation b/w Alana and Spock.

* * *

Alana tried to concentrate on steering back to earth, but then took another quick peek at the man casually sitting behind her. Kirk stared back. _Vweslyn! _She silently cursed before quickly reverting her eyes to the screen before her. _Concentrate on your job, Alana, _not_ Captain Kirk! _

Exactly 56 seconds later, she couldn't take it anymore and snuck another peak behind her. Her green eyes widened. Kirk instantly noticed her staring and frowned at her, but then she snapped her head forward again and he decided not to comment. Maybe alien girls were just weird…

This time, 63 seconds later, she turned her head, but full out stared at her young Captain.

Kirk sighed, "Is there something on my face, Vella? Just tell me."

Alana belted out a false laugh and nervously turned to face him, "There's nothing on your face, sir."

"Besides the unappealing five o'clock shadow," Scotty, who was on bridge to fix their communication, dryly remarked.

"I wouldn't be talkin', Capt'n Long John Silver," Kirk closed one eye and made a hook with one finger, "Arrgh!"

"Ya know what, mate? I-"

"Are we allowed to eat in here?" Alana suddenly asked, staring pointedly down at the half-eaten apple in Kirk's hand.

He frowned, "I don't think so," he said before taking a large, unattractive bite of his apple.

Alana opened her mouth to make a suggestion, but Scotty beat her to it, "Then walk de plank, mate! Arrgh!"

Kirk blinked, "Ok, a little too far. The whole Long John Silver thing was cute, but that was…" He clicked his tongue, "And besides," he dropped his voice low, "We're in the company of a girl, Scotty!" He reprimanded him, "A little less Scottish pirate, a little more suave… like me."

"Alright then… Miss Vella, you are looking exceptional fabulous tonight. Have you done something with your hair?" He smiled at her like a British butler.

"Wow, thanks. And here I was thinking it's gross that I have not flihqzed it for two days."

Scotty's left eye twitched, "Yes, that is rather unattractive. Good day." He said, immediately exiting out the door.

Kirk and Alana were left to blink at each other. 13 seconds later, Alana broke the silence, nervously eying his apple. "Sir, you should really get rid of that." She said, gesturing to the fruit in his hand.

"Why?"

"Did you not just say that regulations state-"

"Didn't you read the handbook?"

"I haven't received mine yet."

He frowned, "I got mine my first day at the Academy…"

"Oh, then I can just find an Academy student and request to borrow their-"

"Why didn't you get one?"

"I didn't go to the Academy."

"What?!" He was suddenly upright on his chair, glaring at her, "Sulu told me you graduated!"

"Yes, but not from your Academy," she was suddenly nervous, twisting her fingers around the unneeded fabric of her skirt. "I graduated from the Edoian Academy of Space and Engineering."

"Oh."

"With a major in subspace piloting." She smiled, "Top of my class."

"Oh." He should've known. Edo wasn't even a Federation planet. Why would she have gone to the Starfleet Academy? "That's acceptable as well." He shrugged and took another big, juicy bite of his apple.

Alana flinched at the crunch of his teeth sinking in the fruit. Her jaw clenched, "Sir, I really believe that it isn't advisable to be-"

"Are you gonna tattle on me?"

"Um… no?"

"And Spock isn't either, so I don't see the problem, Vella."

She bit her lip and focused on trying to get around a large asteroid belt before she could shift to autopilot and get to sleep. Why was he still here? Was it just to infuriate her with his law breaking and insanely noisy eating habits? Two minutes passed and she tried to concentrate on maneuvering around the large rock bits, but all she could hear was his chewing. Didn't he realize that if Starfleet found out about this, there'd be hell to pay? He was breaking the law, for god's sake! _Vweslyn! Sytinsz xfer!_

Unable to take it anymore, Alana quickly spun around, "Sir I beg that you dispose of your food right away." Her eyes were hard for anger.

Kirk cocked a lazy eyebrow at her, "Nah, don't feel like it, Vella, so why don't you just-"

Suddenly, she snapped to her feet and strode aggressively towards him. Edoians were the friendliest, most affectionate people in the galaxy, but hey, Alana was human. She wrenched the apple away from him, "Computer, waste chute." A black gap instantly appeared and Alana tossed the offensive fruit down the chute, "Thank you." It closed and she reseated herself on her seat, as dignified as possible.

Kirk had been staring at her wide-eyed for a few seconds before he snapped back into it and let out a low whistle, "Wow. I guess I shouldn't be telling you stories of my adventures in high school." He shook his head, though there was an extremely amused grin on his face.

She didn't bother looking at him, "I assume these stories consist of illegal activities, Captain?"

"Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, baby."

"Then I assure you, I do not wish to partake in your storytelling."

"Oh, come on, you must've broken a law some time or another in your life!" He complained, leaning back in his chair.

Alana hesitated, "In primary school," she said in a small voice, "We were required to give a speech on the importance of inter-galatical relationships. The maximum amount of words you could have was three thousand … and I…" She swallowed hard, "My speech was three thousand and _two_ words, as I accidently broke up contractions and… it was horrid, but luckily, my teacher had not been counting that time." She bitterly shook her head, "One of the worst days of my life."

Kirk's jaw had dropped, "What the hell is wrong with your planet?!"

Alana blinked, "What are you talking about?"

"That's the _only _law you've ever broken?! Damn!"

"Well, no one on my planet breaks laws, as it is common knowledge that on Edo, there is a possibility for death for doing anything illegal, no matter how trivial the crime." She frowned at him, "Didn't you know that."

"Of course!" Kirk bluffed, scoffing loudly and refusing to meet her eyes.

She raised an eyebrow, "You don't know anything about my culture, do you?"

"I know stuff!"

"Really?"

"Yeah… For example, they're… humanoid… Am I right?"

"Unfortunately," she said with a sigh.

"Well, that doesn't matter. What does is that you're a human, right?"

"Unfortunately," She repeated.

"And you aren't on Edo anymore, so you know what?"

"Enlighten me."

"I'm gonna help you commit your second crime!"

Her olive eyes were wide with terror, "You _wouldn't_."

"As your acting commanding officer, I _would_." His grin threatened to encompass the world.

***

"Just do it!"

"I can't!"

"Do it!"

"The regulations clearly state that it is highly illegal to-"

"Do it!"

"Captain Kirk, _please_, I beg of you, do not make me-"

"Just _do it_!"

"Ugh!" Alana took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, though fear and adrenaline still coursed through her veins. "Are you sure we aren't going to be executed if they find out?"

Kirk rolled his eyes, "Of course not. I've done this a million times."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, now just do it!"

She monitored her breathing carefully. _In… hold it for eight beats… and out. In… and out… _"Alright," she finally said, "I'll do it." They were currently stationed in the cafeteria, both seated with Kirk cheering her on. She gripped the candy wrapper with her hand and in one bold, fluid movement-

She chucked it into the recycling chute.

"Yesss!" Both she and Kirk jumped to their feet.

"I did it!" She squealed, bouncing up and down, "I did it!"

"I know! Good job!"

Alana threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a long, but very chaste kiss on his lips. One arm immediately encircled her waist while the other hand stroked her hair. He made the chaste kiss unchaste.

There was a rush, some kind of surge of emotions as her lips met his and he couldn't help but react as he did to it. She smelled so sweet, yet musky that he couldn't help but want to get closer to her. Her hair was full and blonde and oh, so soft to the touch. These past few days of just watching and not touching were too much. She was pretty and fresh and he hadn't been with a woman for god knows how long. How could he resist?

Alana didn't seem to be protesting, so he slowly brushed his tongue against her lower lip. He groaned at the taste of her sweet lips and pressed himself closer. He moved his lips along with hers while the other hand slithered up from her waist to her slim sides. Before he could get any further, she pulled away.

"Well, it was nice… committing crimes with you," she grinned, "I should head off to my chambers before I commit my third crime." There was a twinkle in those stunning green eyes as she leaned in to capture his lips for another kiss. Unfortunately, this time, she pulled away after a little peck before he could encage her with his arms again.

"Yeah…" he said, a little breathless, "Er, good night."

"Good night, Captain," she said before heading towards the turbolift. There was still a smile on Kirk's face as he headed back to the bridge…

***

It was strange committing crimes, but it left a rather lovely tingling feeling creeping down your spine. Her heart still pounded a few beats faster than average as there was still left over adrenaline in her veins, but even that felt good. She just narrowly escaped death _and _participated in illegal activity. Whoo! She was on a roll! She was completely… what was the human expression again? Oh, yeah, _badass_!

Alana happily pressed the button for her floor. She was going to have to take a long, hot shower to relax her body of any remaining adrenaline, then finally flihqz her hair, because, seriously, it was losing it platinum glow… As she had already broken a strict rule, she might as well break another one… How serious was the sleeping with your superiors rule, anyways? Lieutenant Uhura had said it would be "very unwise," but that didn't necessarily mean that she was breaking any rules, right? And even if she were, well, Alana decided she liked being bad.

The doors to the turbolift slid open and Alana began walking to her room, when the strangest image caught her eye. A little smile appeared on her face.

Spock sat hunched over, leaning against the wall next to his room, his eyes blankly staring down at the smooth ground. Completely unusual for your typical Vulcan. In fact, Alana had never seen a Vulcan slouch, let alone curl up on the ground, even though she had lived on Vulcan for over a year as a child. Maybe it was Spock's human blood. She knew as well as anyone how much that could hinder you.

The day before, she had taken to reading the files of her crewmates the nice Scottish man had so helpfully got for her, to find some background information on the people she'd be working with for the next few months. Kirk's file was one demerit after another until she didn't bother reading the specific details, while Uhura's was completely flawless. Spock's, however, was interesting.

"Hello, Commander," Alana easily, said, making Spock twitch with surprise (he never jumped).

"Oh, Miss Vella," Spock hastily pulled himself upright, dismayed by having been caught so vulnerable, "What are you doing up so late?"

Alana strolled up next to him so she was facing him directly, "I would like to ask you the same thing."

His gaze didn't falter, but understanding Vulcans very well, Alana could make out a flicker of uncertainty, "I was… thinking, that's all."

She pursed her lips together for a second, trying not to smile, before continuing. "So, Mr. Scott allows me access to everyone's files yesterday…"

Spock raised an eyebrow. He'd have to have a little talk with Scotty later on… "Anything fascinating in mine?"

She allowed herself the smile now. "As a matter of fact, yes." She took a small step forward, intruding in his personal space, "It revealed that exactly six years and eleven months ago, you departed from the Academy, although it was the middle of the term, for Vulcan abruptly and with no apparent reason," she took her eyes off his shirt. The olive orbs smoldered with sensuality. "But I think I know the reason."

He closed his eyes for a split second, before snapping them open again to raise a casual eyebrow at her, "What is it that you are suggesting?"

She slowly ran a finger down the front of his shirt. He seemed unfazed, but she knew better. "As it would be impossible to reach the new Vulcan within the month with the ship stopping for repairs and the such, you will experience your pon farr onboard," her voice lowered, turning husky, "We cannot afford an aggressive first mate," she purred, her eyes wide and sparkling.

He stared down at the glittery silver nail on the front of his shirt, "I do not believe I am aware of where this conversation is going," he said, though he had a suspicion.

Alana giggled, the sound like bells, "I am offering myself to… relieve your symptoms of pon farr," She explaining, lightly touching his arm.

Spock hesitated for a full second, considering the offer before quickly rejecting it, "That would be… unnecessary, Miss Vella."

Her face immediately darkened and she retracted her hand, "Elaborate," her voice was now stern.

"Mediation can serve as a mean to control my pon farr as well."

"Not a very good mean," She quickly said, still hurt by his words.

He straightened his already straight form, "Miss Vella, I hope I have not offended you in any way, but it is not my intention to… experience pon farr with a female companion."

Alana forgot how sensitive Vulcans were over this subject. Everyone had to do this, right? So why were they so uptight over it? She sighed deeply, "There is always a chance of death if you do not have sex during the blood fever." She said it so explicitly, she could've sworn she saw him wince, "And I assure you, there won't be any strings attached; purely professional. No one will have to know." Her smile reappeared, "We cannot afford to lose our first mate."

For the second time, Spock found himself actually considering her words. His insides squirmed with embarrassment of the whole situation. In fact, he could already feel the tips of his ears turning slightly green. Edoians weren't known for their stubbornness. It must be her human blood. "Miss Vella, this is nothing personal, as you are quite an attractive woman, but I assure you that I have no intention of-"

She angrily crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall opposite his room, "It's Lieutenant Uhura, isn't it?"

For the second time today, Spock found himself speechless. Were all the women on this ship determined to make him uncomfortable? His ears were now _very _green. "I suppose Captain Kirk has informed you on the personal affairs of everyone onboard?" His voice only carried the barest twinge of bitterness, but Alana knew better.

"Pavel, actually," She corrected. He wouldn't go after an innocent little boy, right?

"Well, if you must know, Lieutenant Uhura and I are no longer involved in a relationship."

Her eyes narrowed, "Why? Because of your pon farr?"

"As you probably know, it is difficult not to bond with someone during the blood fever." His black eyes met hers, "We mate for a lifetime."

She idly twirled a strand of white-blonde around her finger, "Edoians are not known for their… ability to hold long-term relationships, but humans seem to be able to have monogamous relationships better." Her musky green eyes burned into his, "Nyota seems like a very… proper human being."

His lip twitched, "You speak of humans as though you are not one."

She blinked back, "You speak of Vulcans as though you _are_ one."

He frowned slightly, "I _am_."

Alana shook her head, smiling, "You may look and behave exactly like one, but I believe you are more human than Vulcan…" She raised an eyebrow, "Refusing an offer to relieve your pon farr at the risk of death…? That isn't very… _logical_, now is it?"

Third speechless moment of the day. Damn.

There was a sad smile on her face as she eased closer to him, "Pushing away the woman you love to keep her save… Such a human thing to do." She fingered the front of his shirt, "I am the same as you." Her voice was so quiet he wouldn't have been able to hear it, even with his enhanced hearing, if she weren't right in front of him. "Offering to sleep with you… That is a very Edoian thing to do… But offering my body, even though I am not interested, just to see if I can get away with it so I can get closer to Captain Kirk… Well, that's a very human thing, is it not?"

Sighing, she leaned back against the wall directly behind her and slumped down to a crouch, mirroring the position she had caught Spock when she first saw him. Wordlessly, to both their surprise, he slipped down next to her. They sat there for a few moments in silence, Spock patiently waiting for her to continue. Finally, Alana swung some sleek blonde hair off her shoulder, "I have always considered myself an Edoian. Sometimes, I even manage to forget my genetic make-up… My human blood… I have always considered it a setback. The only thing wrong with me." She fingered a strand of white blonde, "I have been coloring my hair since I was four."

"It is a setback," Spock couldn't help but agree, "I find it most difficult to control my emotions with this human blood."

Alana smiled wryly, "Vulcan emotions with human inability to control them… I should feel sorry for you, but I do not. Maybe this is a blessing, in disguise. Maybe you are not to follow the Vulcan way," She gently said, gazing off into nothingness.

Spock, on the other hand, stared intently at her, "Please explain your meaning."

She chuckled once, "Why are you following Vulcan culture? Have you ever considered that maybe that is not the route fate has planned for you? Have you ever considered the fact that maybe you are supposed to be more human than Vulcan? That with so many emotions, expressing them might be beautiful rather disastrous?"

His jaw clenched, "I have chosen the Vulcan way. It is too late now."

"And I have chosen the Edoian way… but…" She thoughtfully stared down at the lock of hair between her fingers, "I am human. Edoians cannot feel love. They can express joy, lust, but not love… I have fallen in love before." She looked at him, "You are in love. Vulcans do not love. You are as human as I am… Perhaps it is time we face the truth."

Her eyes met his and she frowned, "Your eyes… They are just like mine."

"What do you mean?"

She reached over to gently stroke his cheek as she gazed into his dark eyes, "They are human… All Edoians have light blue eyes," she blinked her hazy olive ones, "We both have human eyes… Eyes are supposed to be the windows into one's soul… Is that telling you something?" There was a brief pause as both parties attempted to digest this new information.

Suddenly, her dark face brightened and she laughed, pulling herself off the ground and dusting imaginary specks of dirt off her skirt, "Well, this conversation is getting too deep."

Spock rose as well, "I apologize to have disturbed your rest, Miss Vella."

She laughed again, "I was the one who approached you, Spock," She reminded him, shaking her head slightly.

There was a short, but very awkward silence as they stared everywhere but at each other. This time, Spock broke the silence, "Thank you for such an… insightful conversation, Miss Vella, but-"

"Alana," she quickly corrected with a smile, "I think you have the right to call me by my first name after all that."

"Alright, _Alana_." It sounded nice.

"Well, goodnight, Spock," she said, rising to her tippy toes to plant a kiss on his lips.

He quickly kissed her palm in return, "Goodnight…" He softly said after her retreating form. Sighing as soon as she was gone, he stood there, in the middle of the hall for a few seconds before quietly slipping into his room. This was seriously a dramatic day. Near death confrontations and determined women turning his world upside down. A million thoughts spun around in his head, so Spock sat on his bed to try to think them through.

Uhura loved him. His mind whirled dizzily and his body threatened to give out. He wanted to collapse on his bed and curl up in a little ball, but he wouldn't allow that again. Instead, he sat straighter and tried to organize his thoughts. She loved him. But did he love her? Alana seemed confident in the fact that he did. But did he? And was he really supposed to be more human than Vulcan? Or was she just inferring that because she was human herself?

And his pon farr… Was Alana right? Could he handle his upcoming blood fever without visiting Vulcan? He had never attempted the meditation method before. For some, it worked, but for the majority, it couldn't… Add the fact that his human side made emotions difficult to control and he was now seriously having some doubts about his decision. Perhaps he should have taken Alana's offer, after all. He doubted he would bond with her as he had not known her for very long and had no feelings for her. With Nyota, though… There was no way he would hurt her and force her into such a thing.

Was he supposed to be Vulcan? He could sure look and act the part, but was that who he was supposed to be? It was where he had grown up, everything he knew. He should be Vulcan… Then again, there was Alana. In every aspect, she was Edoian, except she was actually human. He was, in every aspect, Vulcan, but could he actually be human?

Sighing as his head began to spin again, Spock began to slowly undress and wished, not for the first time today and definitely not for the last, that Uhura had stayed around long enough for him to explain his reasoning behind why he was giving her the cold shoulder. If he could make her understand, then maybe she wouldn't be so upset. But it was too late now. Now, he just wanted to drown all the drama out and forget everything…

***

Alana quietly hummed to herself a new human tone she heard on Chekov's music player the other day as she massaged shampoo in her hair. She then remembered that she had not flihqzed her hair for two days, even though she was supposed to flihqz daily, and she automatically reached for the bottle and squeezed a dollop on her palm. Suddenly, a recollection of her conversation with Spock jumped in her mind… _You are as human as I am… Perhaps it is time we face the truth…_

She considered the foam in her hand for a few minutes when she was suddenly summoned by strange courage and let the hot water wash it off her hands. She was human. Humans did not need to flihqz.

* * *

Yeah, I admit I kinda twisted Edo culture a little to my liking, but sue me. =P Anyways, this is the longest chapter I think I've ever written, so feel grateful, readers. This is all for you guys. Oh, how I sacrifice! XP. Not really. Anyways, I'll swear that I'll squeal, no matter where I am, every time I get a review. Isn't embarrassing the author tempting? You know you wanna... ;)


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